At that mont Chloe’s hands clenched into fists.
"No."
She refused to accept this.
There had to be another way.
A way to put Valentina back in her place. A way to make Raymond regret ever stepping into their lives.
Because no matter what it took, Chloe wasn’t going to lose.
Then Maria stepped into the room just as Chloe stord past her, her heels clicking aggressively against the marble floor. Her daughter didn’t even glance her way, the rage radiating off her like a burning fla.
Then Maria arched an eyebrow, watching as Chloe disappeared down the hallway without a word.
Her husband sighed heavily, rubbing his temple.
However before Chloe entered her room she said.
"Hes’s been like that since I got back."
Then her father sink deeper into his chair.
Maria didn’t need to ask why. She had already heard enough from her own sources.
Adding to the failure at the dealership, the humiliation, and now this? The divorce plan had crumbled before it even began. Lancaster & Hawthorne had shut them down completely.
She walked over to the bar, pouring herself a drink before settling across from her husband. She swirled the liquid in her glass, her lips curling into a smirk.
"So," she drawled, "how bad was it?"
At that mont her husband exhaled sharply.
"Bad." His tone was clipped, his frustration barely contained.
"That bastard Raymond won so ridiculous charity lottery. That’s how Lancaster & Hawthorne ended up backing him. We can’t touch him now—not legally."
Then Maria humd in thought, taking a slow sip of her drink.
"So," she mused, "we don’t touch him legally."
Her husband shot her a sharp look. "Maria."
"What?" She shrugged.
"I’m just saying—if the law can’t help us, then we find another way."
His eyes darkened.
"You’ve already done enough."
Maria simply smiled, crossing her legs. "Oh, darling," she mused, tapping her manicured nails against the glass.
"I haven’t even started yet."
At that mont, she stepped aside and pulled out her phone. Without hesitation, she dialed a number. The call barely rang before a deep, gruff voice answered.
"Well, well," the man chuckled, his voice thick with amusent.
"I never thought I’d be hearing from you again, Maria. What’s the occasion? You miss ?"
Maria rolled her eyes.
"Save the flirting, Clinton. I have a job for you."
There was a pause on the other end. Then, a dark chuckle.
"A job, huh? If it’s coming from you, I bet it’s sothing nasty."
"You won’t be disappointed," Maria replied smoothly, her voice laced with venom. "I want you to find soone for . Valentina. I want to know where she lives, where she goes, and everything about her new little life with that thing she calls a husband."
Hearing what Maria just said Clinton was silent for a mont before he exhaled sharply. "Valentina, huh? Didn’t think you still had a grudge that big."
Maria’s lips curled into a sneer.
"I don’t let go of things easily, Clinton. You should know that by now."
A low hum ca through the speaker.
"Alright, I’ll put my n on it. I’ll have everything you need by tomorrow night."
"Make it sooner," Maria snapped.
Clinton chuckled.
"Impatient as ever. Fine. I’ll see what I can do."
With that, the line went dead. Maria lowered the phone, a wicked smirk playing on her lips. This wasn’t over—not even close.
She turned back toward her husband, who was watching her with a weary expression.
"What did you do now?" he asked, already exhausted.
Maria simply finished her drink, setting the glass down with a soft clink.
"Just setting things in motion, so we know where that bastard stay." she purred. "By the end of this, Valentina won’t even know what hit her."
Then her husband nodded, before he started telling her what had actually happened today.
Maria’s expression darkened as she listened to Valentina’s father recount what had happened at the court. She had expected that things might not go smoothly, but she hadn’t anticipated such a humiliating outco.
Then her fingers tightened around the armrest of the couch, her nails digging into the leather as she absorbed every word.
"So you’re telling ," Maria said slowly, her voice laced with disbelief and anger, "that our almighty lawyer you hired ran away like a coward just because Lancaster & Hawthorne showed up?"
Valentina’s father nodded, his face lined with frustration.
"That law firm isn’t just any firm, Maria. They could crush any lawyer who dares to oppose them. If we push this divorce through force, we’ll be the ones facing a legal nightmare."
Maria exhaled sharply, shaking her head.
"Unbelievable. But that’s not even the worst part." She leaned in, her eyes flashing with fury. "Do you know what actually happened at the car dealership today? That good-for-nothing Raymond humiliated Liam, humiliated Chloe, and on top of that, he had the audacity to buy Valentina a car worth three million dollars."
Imdiately the room fell silent for a mont.
Valentina’s father looked at her as if she had lost her mind.
"Three million dollars?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes," Maria spat. "He embarrassed Liam in front of everyone. The dealership manager was practically bowing to him, no she kneeled, even lay down on the floor. And to make it worse, he acted like spending three million dollars was nothing." She clenched her fists, shaking her head.
"That bastard is playing a ga we don’t understand."
At that mont Valentina’s father rubbed his temples.
"This changes things. If he can casually throw around that kind of money, then forcing a divorce isn’t just going to be difficult—it’s impossible."
Then Maria’s jaw tightened.
"Which is why we need to stop playing by the rules."
She wasn’t going to sit back and watch Valentina live a luxurious life with that nobody who had sohow climbed his way to power. No, she was going to destroy them.
By any ans necessary.
At that mont Valentina’s father sat frozen for a mont, his mouth slightly open as Maria’s words replayed in his head.
Then, as if a switch had flipped, he suddenly shot up from his chair, sending it skidding backward with a loud screech.
"THREE MILLION DOLLARS?!" he bellowed, his hands clutching his head as if he had just been struck by lightning.
"For a CAR?! Not a house! Not a business investnt! A CAR?!"
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